Q&A: Oil and gas industry must adopt emerging tech or face extinction

The Middle East oil and gas industry faces pressure on several fronts. Enterprises around the world are deploying sustainable-energy technology designed to reduce reliance on oil in an effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions, while geopolitical turmoil has caused oil prices to plunge, putting pressure on energy company IT budgets. Shumon Zaman is a UAE-based technology executive and consultant who most recently worked as technology vice president at Lamprell PLC, a company specializing in the oil rig construction business; in this edited Q&A he highlights the power of digital twins and other emerging tech to accelerate digitalization in oil and gas industry -- with the aim of curbing costs, optimising revenue streams and supporting sustainability initiatives. Which emerging technologies will shape the future for the oil and gas industry? Shumon Zaman is a UAE-based technology executive.